Making clinical trials more welcoming for everyone

Leveraging discrete choice experiments to increase participant diversity in future clinical trials

NIH-funded research Rush University Medical Center · NIH-11059066

This project helps us understand what makes people from diverse backgrounds want to join clinical trials, especially for conditions like adult-onset diabetes.

Quick facts

Grant typeR03 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionRush University Medical Center NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Chicago, United States)
Project IDNIH-11059066 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

Many people from different backgrounds, including various racial and ethnic groups or those with lower income, are not often included in clinical trials. This makes it harder to find new ways to help everyone with conditions like adult-onset diabetes. This project uses a special survey method called a "discrete choice experiment" to ask people what features of a clinical trial would make them more likely to participate. We want to learn what matters most to different groups, such as access to care, incentives, or how much time a trial takes. The goal is to find better ways to design trials so that more people feel comfortable and willing to join.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: This project is looking for insights from people who might consider joining future clinical trials, particularly those from groups often underrepresented in research.

Not a fit: Patients who are not interested in providing feedback on clinical trial design or who do not belong to underrepresented groups may not directly benefit from this specific project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to clinical trials that better represent all patients, ensuring new treatments are effective for a wider range of people.

How similar studies have performed: While some studies have identified general motivations for trial participation, this project uses a specific method to prioritize attributes for diverse groups, which is a more novel approach.

Where this research is happening

Chicago, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Adult-Onset Diabetes Mellitus
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.